PNP urged to check mental fitness of recruits, strengthen recruitment process in wake of Fontillas’ fury
LEADERS of the House of Representatives on Thursday urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to check the mental fitness of its personnel in the wake of the fury shown by a policeman railing against the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
At the same time, House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong, who chairs the Ad Hoc Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation and Victims’ Compensation, of Lanao del Sur and Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V of La Union appealed to the PNP to strengthen its recruitment process.
They made the suggestions in a news conference in reaction to the furious vlogs of Patrolman Francis Steve Fontillas of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).
“Kasi kailangan talaga ‘yung I think the PNP has to make a very strong measure in determining the psychological capacity of all the recruits. Kasi of course bibigyan mo ‘yan ng baril, bibigyan mo siya ng responsibility,” Adiong said.
Agreeing with his colleague, Ortega said the PNP, National Police Commission (Napolcom), and even the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and similar agencies should consider not the physical fitness of recruits but their mental balance as well.
“Nandyan naman na yung Napolcom eh… siguro it’s in within their best interest na sila naman po ‘yung nakatutok na rin po diyan, and sabi nga po natin um um may recruitment po dyan,” he said.
“Sabi ko nga, usually kasi po dyan ‘yung matibay po saka nakaka-last sa physical exam, nakaka endure po dun sa physical side ng pagiging parte po ng kapulisan o ano man, Armed Forces,” he said.
“Siguro dito makikita natin na kailangan na rin pong bigyan ng weight saka emphasis po ‘yung other na criteria, like ‘yung on the mental side. Saka maganda po na yung evaluation nito is parang mas ano talaga…na mas may improvement or mas may stringent yung pagpili natin,” he added.
Adiong said Fontillas appears to be a troubled man.
“Nakita ko ‘yung portion ng kanyang ah video video, ‘yung vlog. So I guess something is troubling this guy no. I mean it’s beyond his passion of vlogging. I think some something is not right. The choice, his choice of words. Ah, hindi lang yung passion ng ah pagba-vlog no? Something is troubling. I hope he finds the help that he needs,” he said.
The Mindanao lawmaker agreed with PNP officials that police personnel should be non-partisan.
“So pero dun naman sa pagsabi niya, klaro naman ‘yun eh. Because if you’re an officer, if you’re a uniformed man, you’re uniformed officials, especially PNP and even civil servants, bawal po maging partisan. Ah, that’s under the Constitution. That’s under the Omnibus Election Code,” Adiong said.
He said even the Code of Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees prohibit government personnel from engaging in partisan political activities.
“I think within the PNP, you have to remain apolitical, they have to remain true to their mandate. They have to remain loyal to the government, to the flag and to the country. Whatever politics that they may have had personally…should not be used as a means to voice it out and then insite violence, because that is contrary to what they have sworn in as policemen,” he added.
Adiong reiterated that on a “personal level, I think he needs some help.”
